Paid Maternity Leave for All U.S. Women

The Family and Medical Leave Act does not help families who cannot afford to miss a paycheck. Some women have complications during pregnancy that mean they use up FMLA leave before the baby is born. Other women suffer from post-natal depression or other issues that mean they need longer to recover. And all women deserve the right to spend quality time with their new babies without worrying about financial pressures. Studies show that babies benefit from the dedicated care of parents in the first few months of life. The World Health Organization says that babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, but many mothers who choose to breastfeed are unable to keep going once they start back at work. The US lags behind the rest of the developed world in providing maternity leave. This is not just a woman's right but a children's right and a human right - all mothers should have the right to paid maternity leave for each pregnancy, no matter where they work.